78 POUNDS!

Michelle, the Hospice nurse, was here today. In the course of her visit, we weighed Mom again –> ONLY 78 pounds. That’s 6 more pounds lost since they weighed her after she left the hospital – less than a month ago. Boy, my cooking must be worse than i thought. Seriously, though, it’s so difficult to find anything she likes to eat, that she can eat without choking.

We discussed ways to get her to eat, how to keep her in her chair so she doesn’t fall, and how to keep her from choking. I’m afraid solutions are difficult.

She suggested baby food, then  thought maybe toddler food might suit Mom more. She also ordered some thickener – apparently thickened liquid is easier to swallow than straight liquid, like milk or coffee or water.

For keeping Mom from falling, she brought with her a strap that beeps when Mom tries to get up, but that’s not the problem so she took it back with her. She suggested that others have used a flat sheet to keep their loved ones in their chairs. 

Survival…

Yesterday, Glenn Beck interviewed Ben Sherwood, author of The Survival Club. --if you’re interested in a transcript of the interview, see: http://www.glennbeck.com/content/articles/article/196/21752/

At that site, there is a shortened Survivor IQ test you can take. It only takes a few minutes and will tell you which of the five categories of survivor you are. Ben Sherwood points out that this really gives you your dominant survivor trait; you can still have aspects of the other four. The five categories, in no particular order, are Believer, Thinker, Fighter, Realist, and Connector.

Regardless of your survivor type, your best chances of dealing with disaster is to:

1. Be aware
2. Know the threat
3. Prepare accordingly.

I don’t know if you saw any videos of the empty store shelves in the D.C. area during the latest snowstorms, but it’s a pretty good indicator of what could happen in any kind of regional or national emergency. What if this emergency lasted more than a week or two.

Are you prepared? Have you considered what disasters could befall you? Could you survive on the food and water you have at your house? What if electricity, water, and phones were out of service for a month or more? Do you keep enough gas in your car to get you away from any regional threat without having to stop for gas?

Take the time to be aware of what’s going on around you. Assess any threats that might come your way and get ready for it as much as possible.

Sorry for getting on my survivalist pulpit, but we are so spoiled in this country. Of course, you are reading something written by someone who never had to buy a roll of toilet paper or can of tuna for a year or more after 1/1/2000. My motto was: I’d rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it. How will I handle all of this survivalist prep when I’m in my 25-foot travel trailer?

Until next time…